Better Bankside :: Travel Info

Travel Info

We have gathered below links to useful websites for travel in and around London. If you would like to suggest any further links or if any of these websites don't work please let us know here. All links will open in a new window. Some of the links (marked as PDF) will require Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded for free from the Adobe website.

General

The single most useful website for travel in the capital is Transport for London's Journey Planner. This allows you to plan journeys for all modes of public transport in London, including walking and cycling. Your starting and finishing points can be given as a postcode, street name, station or stop or place of interest. By clicking on 'more options' you can choose the modes of transport you wish to use and enter advance options such as your mobility requirements or how long you wish to walk for.
Transport for London information line		020 7222 1234 (24hrs)
For journeys by public transport or car nationally try: Transport Direct
Find everything you need around tube stations throughout London: pubs, bars, restaurants, attractions and more

Tube

Depending whereabouts in Bankside you are your nearest underground stations are: Southwark (Jubilee Line) London Bridge (Northern and Jubilee Lines) Borough (Northern Line) Blackfriars (Circle and District Lines) Mansion House (Circle and District Lines) Cannon Street (Circle and District Lines) Monument (Circle and District Line)
Transport for London's journey planner
The classic tube map (pdf)
A full map showing tube, tram and train lines and zones information (pdf)
It is possible to view the live departure boards for some tube lines online, currently this is only for the Bakerloo, Jubilee, Metropolitan, Northern and Victoria lines, with other lines to follow in future. Go to this website and choose your nearest station.
Tube timetables including first and last train times
Information on tickets and fares for tubes and buses including travelcards and pre-pay oyster
An interactive tube map from Transport for London. Click on a station to link to a local streetmap, bus map, station facilities (phones, cash machines etc), train times and national rail destinations
Bicycles on the Underground information about which tube lines you can take a bicycle on
Transport for London information line		020 7222 1234 (24hrs)
Tube only General Enquiries both automated and with operator:		0845 330 9880
Find everything you need around tube stations throughout London: pubs, bars, restaurants, attractions and more

Rail

National Rail Enquiries website which gives train times and ticket prices and links to suppliers for the purchase of tickets. The website also has information on planned engineering work and delays.
National Rail enquiries	08457 484950
A useful 'tube-style' map of train services around the capital (pdf)
Another map showing all rail services in South East England (pdf)
To find details of taxi companies at any station in the country try Train Taxi
For international rail travel the best site is Seat 61
All main line train stations can be easily reached from the Bankside area:
Waterloo • Southwest Trains to Bournemouth, Hampton Court, Portsmouth, Salisbury, Southampton and Windsor. • Eurostar services to Paris and Brussels • Journey times to Waterloo depend on where in Bankside you are, but about 15 -25mins walk, Buses RV1 or 381 or Jubilee line from Southwark or London Bridge.		Southwest	Eurostar
Waterloo East • Southeastern Trains or Southern to SE London and Kent, all services also call at London Bridge and Charing Cross • Journey times to Waterloo East depend on where in Bankside you are, but it's about 10 -20mins walk or Buses RV1 or 381.		Southeastern	Southern
Cannon Street • South Eastern Trains to SE London and Kent • All services also call at London Bridge • Bus 344 from Bankside or walk 10-20mins			Southeastern
London Bridge • Southern Trains , South Eastern Trainsand First Capital Connect • Services to Ashford, Bedford, Brighton, Canterbury, Dover, Gravesend, Luton, Maidstone, Margate and St Albans. • 5-15 mins walk from most of Bankside area or buses: RV1 or 381 from Southwark Street, or 35, 133, 40, 343 or 21 from Borough High Street.	Southern	Southeastern	First Capital Connect
Kings Cross/St.Pancras • GNER; First Capital Connect and Midland Mainline • Trains to many destinations including: Luton, Bedford, Kettering, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Sheffield, Stevenage, Peterborough, Cambridge, Yorkshire, the North East, Scotland • Northern line from London Bridge or Borough Station or bus 63.	GNER	First Capital Connect	Midland Mainline
Euston • Silverlink; Virgin Trains; First ScotRail • Trains to Birmingham, Carlisle, Chester, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, the North West and Scotland • Northern Line from London Bridge or Borough Station	Silverlink	Virgin Trains	First ScotRail
Charing Cross • Southern Trains, South Eastern Trains • Services to Dover, Greenwich and other destinations in the South East. • All services stop at Waterloo East which is more convenient for access from Bankside		Southern	Southeastern
Liverpool Street • One, Stansted Express • Trains to Cambridge, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and Stansted Airport • Bus 344 or walk 20-30 mins		One	Stansted Express
Victoria • Southeaster, Souther, and Gatwick Express • Trains to Brighton, Canterbury, Eastbourne, Gatwick and Rochester • Walk (10-20mins) to Blackfriars or Mansion House and take District or Circle line or bus 344 from Mansion House.	Southern	Southeastern	Gatwick Express
Paddington • First Great Western, Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect • Trains to Heathrow, Ealing, Slough, Reading, Swindon, Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Oxford, Cheltenham, Stratford-upon-Avon, Plymouth, the South West and South Wales • Circle line from Blackfriars or Mansion House; Bakerloo line from Waterloo.	First Great Western	Heathrow Express	Heathrow Connect
Fenchurch Street • C2C • Trains to Basildon, Purfleet, Southend, Tilbury • Bus 40			C2C
Marylebone • Chiltern Railways • Trains to Aylesbury, Banbury, Birmingham • Bakerloo line from Waterloo or Jubilee line from London Bridge or Southwark then walk from Baker Street.			Chiltern Railways

Buses

Transport for London's journey planner. If you want to find a journey by bus only click on 'more options' and then scroll down to the modes of transport option and remove the ticks by all modes except bus.
Information on bus fares
A map of bus routes in central London including Bankside
A spider map showing bus services from London Bridge (pdf)
A spider map from Southwark Station (pdf)
On this page you can get timetables for any bus route in London
A map of night bus services in central London (including Bankside). The following night or 24 hour bus services run through the Bankside area: 43, 149, N21, N35, N47, N133, N63, N89, N343, N381
A spider map of night bus services from London Bridge

The following buses serve the Bankside area, see the map to locate your nearest bus stop

17 Archway Holloway Caledonian Road Kings Cross St Pancras Grays Inn Road Holborn Circus Farringdon Street Ludgate Circus St Pauls Mansion House Monument London Bridge London Bridge Station

21 Newington Green Old Street Moorgate Bank Monument London Bridge London Bridge Station Borough High Street Borough Great Dover Street Old Kent Road New Cross Gate - Lewisham

35 Shoreditch Bishopsgate Liverpool Street Station Monument London Bridge London Bridge Station Borough High Street Borough Elephant & Castle Walworth Road Camberwell Loughborough Junction Brixton Clapham Common Clapham Junction

40 Aldgate Fenchurch Street Station Monument London Bridge London Bridge Station Borough High Street Borough Elephant & Castle Walworth Road Camberwell Denmark Hill East Dulwich - Dulwich

43 Friern Barnet Muswell Hill Highgate Archway Holloway Road Highbury & Islington Angel, Islington Old Street Moorgate Bank Monument London Bridge London Bridge Station

45 King's Cross Grays Inn Road Chancery Lane Holborn Circus Farringdon Street Blackfriars Blackfriars Bridge Blackfriars Road Elephant & Castle Walworth Road Loughborough Junction Brixton Streatham Hill

47 Shoreditch Bishopsgate Liverpool Street Station Monument London Bridge London Bridge Station Tooley Street Jamaica Road Bermondsey Canada Water Surrey Quays Deptford Broadway Lewisham - Catford

48 Walthamstow Central Lea Bridge Road Clapton Pond Hackney Downs Hackney Central Cambridge Heath Shoreditch Bishopsgate Liverpool Street Monument London Bridge London Bridge Station

63 King's Cross Farringdon Blackfriars Blackfriars Bridge Blackfriars Road Elephant & Castle New Kent Road Old Kent Road Peckham Peckham Rye Honor Oak

100 Shadwell Wapping St Katherine's Dock Tower of London Aldgate Liverpool Street Moorgate Barbican St Paul's Blackfriars Blackfriars Bridge Blackfriars Road Elephant & Castle

133 Liverpool Street Moorgate Bank Monument London Bridge London Bridge Station Borough High Street Borough Elephant & Castle Kennington Brixton - Streatham

141 Palmers Green Wood Green Turnpike Lane Manor House Newington Green Old Street Moorgate Bank Monument London Bridge London Bridge Station

149 Edmonton Green White Hart Lane Bruce Grove Seven Sisters South Tottenham Stoke Newington Dalston Shoreditch Bishopsgate Liverpool Street Monument London Bridge London Bridge Station -

343 London Bridge Station Borough High Street Borough Elephant & Castle Walworth Road Rodney Road Thurlow Street Peckham Peckham Rye Nunhead Brockley New Cross Gate

344 Clapham Junction Battersea Vauxhall Station Lambeth Bridge Imperial War Museum Elephant & Castle Southwark Bridge Road Southwark Bridge Monument Bishopsgate Liverpool Street Station

381 Waterloo County Hall Waterloo Station Stamford Street Southwark Street London Bridge Station Tower Bridge Bermondsey Rotherhithe Canada Water Surrey Quays South Bermondsey Old Kent Road - Peckham

521 Waterloo Station Waterloo Bridge Aldwych Holborn Chancery Lane St Pauls Cannon Street Station Monument London Bridge London Bridge Station

RV1 Covent Garden Aldwych Waterloo Bridge Waterloo Station London Eye Royal Festival Hall Upper Ground Southwark Street London Bridge Station Tooley Street Tower Bridge Tower Gateway

River

There is one pier in the Bankside area: Bankside pier and two just outside the area at London Bridge and Blackfriars. The following services call at each pier:
Bankside pier:	Blackfriars pier:	London Bridge pier:
• Savoy > Woolwich Arsenal • Westminster > St Katharine's Hop on hop off service • Tate > Tate - Bankside > Millbank • Embankment > Greenwich	• Putney > Blackfriars • Savoy > Woolwich Arsenal	• Savoy > Woolwich Arsenal • Westminster > St Katharine's Hop on hop off service

Transport for London's river services page
A guide to river services including a map (pdf)
Time tables
Information on fares. Most services offer a 1/3 discount for travelcard holders. Tickets can be bought at the pier or on the boat.
Live departure boards for some river boat services

Cycling

Cycling is often the quickest way to travel around London, the following are estimated journey times from the Tate Modern based on Transport for London's journey planner:
Battersea Park	24 minutes	Leicester Square	13 minutes
Brixton	20 minutes	Liverpool Street	10 minutes
Canary Wharf	27 minutes	King's Cross	13 minutes
Elephant and Castle	7 minutes	Paddington	29 minutes
Greenwich	29 minutes	Victoria	17 minutes
Holborn	9 minutes	Waterloo	10 minutes

The London Cycling Campaign has lots of useful information on cycling in London whether you're a complete beginner or an experienced cyclist. Look at the section entitled 'Guidance' for information on getting started, buying a bike and much more.
There is also an active Southwark Cycling Campaign
The London Cycling Campaign and Transport for London have produced a series of free maps covering the whole of London showing signed cycle routes and recommended roads. Order your copy online at
The TfL travel planner can be used to find cycling routes as follows: • Choose 'more options' • Tick to include cycle routes then click 'additional cycling options' • Then choose 'I want a cycle only option' • This will give you a cycling route. If you want to cycle and leave your bike at the station or take your bus on the train or tube tick the appropriate boxes instead of 'I want a cycle only option'
Information on where bicycles are allowed on the underground
Bicycles are also allowed on most national rail services off-peak although sometimes you need to book. This website gives full information including links to operators for enquiries and bookings. Otherwise only folding bikes are allowed on other forms of public transport or at peak hours.
Get a tax free bike
A map of cycle parking locations throughout Southwark
Information on cycle stands in Tower Hamlets, Islington, Westminster and the City of London
Advice on how to avoid having your bike stolen
Bicycle shops: Whilst there are no cycle shops within the Bankside area there are several nearby:
Evans Cycles has stores just outside the Better Bankside area on Tooley Street (tel. 0845 070 3744), The Cut (tel. 0845 070 3732) and Waterloo Road (Tel. 0845 070 3733).
The London Bicycle Repair Shop, Shop 2-3, Benson House, Hatfields, SE1 8DQ tel. 020 7928 6898
On Your Bike 52-54 Tooley Street, SE1 2SZ (tel. 020 7378 6669)
A list of cycle shops throughout London can be found at
Other useful organisations:
The UK's National Cyclists' Organization
Sustrans
London Cycle Network

Walking

Walking is a surprisingly quick way to travel around central London and also helps keep you fit! Approximate walking times from Tate Modern to:
Bank Station	17 minutes	Liverpool Street Station	27 minutes
Barbican Centre	25 minutes	London Bridge Station	16 minutes
Borough Station	16 minutes	London Eye	29 minutes
Covent Garden	35 minutes	Waterloo Station	23 minutes
Elephant and Castle Station	26 minutes

Transport for London's journey planner will suggest walking routes under 20mins automatically, but if you are happy to walk further or prefer to walk select 'more options' and then scroll down to the bottom of the page where you will find 'walking options' here you can select your walking speed, the maximum length of time you want to walk for and opt for 'I'd rather walk if it makes my journey quicker'.
Another site Walkit.com allows you to search routes in central London and will give you the distance, time, the number of calories you will burn and the carbon dioxide savings you'll make by walking rather than getting a taxi, driving or taking the tube or a bus.
Find the best walks in Southwark and submit your own favourites
Information on walking in London from Transport for London. You can find out about many of the walking routes in the capital two of which pass through the Bankside area.
The Jubilee Walkway, a 9 mile circular walk from Leicester Square passing many of London's most famous tourist attractions and The Thames Path National Trail a 182 mile walk following the entire length of the Thames. Free leaflets on these and other walks can also be downloaded or ordered from this site.
Walk this way - download guides to five walks around the South Bank, some of which include Bankside
Themed walks in Southwark

Driving

Car clubs are a great way to get access to a car without the hassle of owning one, once you are a member you can book a car by the hour whenever you need it. Currently there is one car club car within the Better Bankside area located on Sumner Street contact Streetcar. Tel. 0845 644 8476
CarPlus has information on car clubs throughout the UK
Avoid unnecessary delays - up to the minute information on road works and traffic jams
A real time road works map for London
London Lift Share - find a car share partner for work or leisure journeys online or call 08700 11 11 99
Information on motorcycle parking
Information on the congestion charge. Bankside is within the London Congestion Zone so don't forget to pay, you can pay on this website or by calling 0845 900 1234
An online route finder from the AA
An online route finder from the RAC
Drive more efficiently see the Energy Saving Trust's leaflet '10 tips for safer, greener, stress free driving'
The ETA provides car insurance and campaigns for a sustainable transport system. Their website gives tips on more efficient driving and greener cars.
Compare carbon dioxide emissions of different cars

Cabs

Black cabs can be found on the main roads in the Bankside area and at the mainline railway stations (London Bridge, Waterloo). There is also a taxi rank near the Tate Modern. Minicabs are generally cheaper than Black Cabs, but for safety ensure that they are licensed.
Details of black cab fares
Black cabs can be booked by phone - this website gives a list of phone numbers
A list of licensed minicab operators by borough. Borough High Street is the closest location to Bankside given
If you're travelling further afield you may find traintaxi.co.uk useful, you can find details of taxi companies at every train station in the country

Airports

All 4 major London airports are easily accessible from the Bankside area by public transport.
Heathrow	District Line from Blackfriars or Cannon Street, then Piccadilly Line. Or Circle Line to Paddington then Heathrow Express.
Stansted	Walk (20-30mins) or catch bus 344 from Southwark Bridge Road or buses 35, 47, 48 or 149 from London Bridge to Liverpool Street and then take the Stansted Express http://www.stanstedexpress.com/
Luton	First Capital Connect trains run direct from London Bridge Station (journey time 50 minutes)
Gatwick	First Capital Connect trains run direct from London Bridge Station (journey time 30 minutes).

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